OUT OF SIGHT AND OUT OF MIND

Once again a UK Westminster government has put the needs of rural Wales last by failing to include Welsh regions in a scheme to help lower fuel bills in rural areas. The application made by the UK Government included seventeen areas in the UK for a 5 pence per litre fuel duty discount, but oddly enough none of the seventeen areas were in Wales.

Plaid Cymru has argued that Wales has some of the most rural areas of the UK, and should qualify for the scheme. Rural Wales has already been very badly hit by numerous decisions taken by both the Westminster Government and Labour in Wales Welsh Government, with decisions being made to cut the EU budget, to reduce CAP payments to Welsh farmers by a quarter of a billion pounds and a failure to support rural businesses.

The decision to exclude rural Wales from the fuel duty discount is just another example of the Westminster parties neglecting to work in Wales’ best interests. Farm incomes fell by 24% last year, and farmers are facing extremely difficult economic conditions. The UK Westminster Government has publically acknowledged that rural areas face added financial pressures, but they have yet again failed to deliver for Wales.The Labour in Wales Welsh Government has also failed to support our rural communities.

The Westminster parties voted to cut the CAP budget on a EU level, and the Labour in Wales Welsh has failed to invest in broadband and mobile connectivity, or step up to help our rural businesses with their business rates. Rural Wales has pretty much been abandoned by the UK Westminster parties, clearly only Plaid Cymru is prepared to step up and fight for Wales’ needs at every opportunity.